TikTok is set to pay a £12.7m UK fine concerning its handling of children's data, following the abandonment of a three-year legal challenge. The social media platform has withdrawn its appeal against the penalty, which was imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in 2023.
A TikTok spokesperson stated that while they disagree with the ICO's 2023 decision, the findings relate to a historical period between May 2018 and July 2020, and do not reflect current youth safety measures.
The ICO estimated that up to 1.75 million British children under 13 used TikTok in 2020, despite the platform's own rules prohibiting them. The watchdog found that TikTok failed to conduct sufficient checks to identify and remove underage users or obtain parental consent, despite being aware of their presence. Additionally, the company did not clearly explain how user data was collected, used, and shared.
The withdrawal of the appeal also allows the ICO to resume a separate investigation into how TikTok processes data from users aged 13 to 17 through its 'recommender' systems. This probe, which began in February 2025, focuses on concerns about children being recommended inappropriate or harmful material.